Jennifer Sawday, Partner

Jennifer Sawday is a partner at TLD Law, LLP. She serves a wide range of clients in all matters related to probate, trusts, estate planning, conservatorships, guardianships—and related litigation. She also handles pre- and post-death administration for clients who serve as personal representatives, executors, and trustees for trusts and estates.

Ms. Sawday’s approach to estate planning is thorough, personalized, informative, and caring. She works with individuals and families to make sure they first understand why estate planning is essential and then helps make it easy for them to complete the many moving parts of a sound estate plan. A comprehensive estate plan starts with a revocable living trust, which should be accompanied by pour over wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives for each client. For those with minor children, there must be provisions made to designate guardians for the kids if something should happen to you. You don’t want to leave it to chance: Whom do you want to raise your children in your absence?

The next step is to determine what assets should become vested in the revocable living trust and how and why transfer those assets there. We understand that some of these are difficult decisions, but we encourage our estate planning clients to complete the entire process within a 4 to 6 week period. This way everyone is working hard on a fairly tight deadline, which helps reach the common goal of avoiding probate or dealing with severe consequences resulting from the absence of an estate plan.

Ms. Sawday has more than fifteen years of legal practice experience. She drafts about two estate plans a week, and her court practice includes about thirty active probates at any given time. Her expertise and tenacity have allowed clients to see their court matters resolved as quickly as possible. The trick, she has found, is in obtaining orders to open and close probates as speedily as is feasible given the statutory time periods. Ms. Sawday also works with clients to handle trust administration and contested matters involving wills and trusts.

Jennifer Sawday completed two terms as President of Women Lawyers of Long Beach as she served from 2008 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2014. Following that, she was the President of the Estate Planning and Trust Council of Long Beach from 2014 to 2016. Ms. Sawday volunteers quarterly as a cook at the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House, is on the board for the Long Beach Community College Foundation, and also is very active in the Executives Association of Long Beach, an organization that has been in existence since 1922.

Ms. Sawday has been selected as a prestigious “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers, as featured in the Los Angeles County Magazine for years 2011, 2012, and 2013. Ms. Sawday has been consistently rated a 10.0 “Superb” attorney by the respected attorney rating organization, AVVO.

Fun fact: Ms. Sawday was selected for the over five years in a row as the Best Wills and Trusts Attorney in Long Beach by the local Long Beach newspaper, the Beachcomber—for years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018!

RECOGNITION & AWARDS

“Rising Star,” SuperLawyers

Top Women Attorneys for Southern California

LA Magazine Top Lawyers in Southern California

Superb Rated Attorney, 10.0 – Avvo

Thomas More Law Honor Society

Loyola Law School, Dean List (1998-2000)

Loyola Law School, First Honors Award in Legal Research and Writing (1999)

Loyola Law School, The Mabel Wilson Richards Scholarship

Long Beach Beachcomber’s “Best Attorney – Wills & Estates” for 2014

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Member, Long Beach Bar Association

Member, Women’s Lawyers of Long Beach (2006-present) and President (2008-2009 and 2013-2014)

Member, Estate Planning and Trust Council of Long Beach (2006-present)

Member, Long Beach City College Foundation Board

Member and Incoming President, Executives Association of Long Beach (2014 to present)

Adjunct Professor at Cerritos College for paralegal courses (2009-2014)

Author of the California Estate Planning Practice Blog

EDUCATION

California State University Dominguez Hills, B.S., Public Administration, 1995

California State University Dominguez Hills, M.P.A., honors in the major, 1997

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D., Evening Program, 2002

BAR ADMISSIONS

California, 2003

S. District Court, 2003

Jennifer’s thoughts on Diversity & Inclusion

“It is a pleasure to be a part of a very well regarded law firm where diversity and inclusion are appreciated among the partners, attorneys and staff. Here at TLD Law, we listen to ensure that we take the best approaches to minimizing or solving our client’s problems for which they seek our advice. We take the time to listen – to listen to our clients, to our staff and even to opposing counsel to thoughtfully tackle all of the legal issues because you never know what strategy or answer will be what solves the issue!”

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